Electrical flasher system



NOV! 1941- I E; FEIEDLANDk 2,231,678

ELECTRICAL FLASHER 5 Y5 TEM Filed May 27, 1938 WITNESSES:

Patented Nov. 4, 1 941 s'r-Tes izrlnormoatrmsnnn SYSTEM Erich Friedlander, Berlin-Siemensstadt, Germany, assignor to Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company, East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation .of Pennsylvania Application May 27, 1938, Serial Nb. 210,358 In Germany June 17, 1.937

2 Claims. .(01; 177346) My invention relates,- generally, to electrical control circuits, and more particularly, to electrical flasher systems for periodically producing flashes of light suitable for advertising purposes, warning signals and the like.

The object of my invention, generally stated, is to provide an electrical flasher system which shall be of simple construction, efficient in operation, and which may be economically manufactured, installed and maintained.

A more specific object of my invention is to provide an electrical flasher system which has no moving parts, and therefore, particularly adapted for use in inaccessible locations where only a minimum of attention and maintenance is possible.

A further object of my invention is to provide in a system of this character for periodically operating a glow discharge lamp, or the like, by means of energy from an energy storage device connected to a series-resonance circuit through rectifier devices.

These and other objects of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention when considered in conjunction with the drawing, in which the single figure is a diagrammatic view of an electrical flasher system embodying the principal features of the invention.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral I designates an alternating current source of electrical energy, 2 a series impedance in the form of a condenser, 3 and 4 condensers which constitute the energy-storage reservoir, 5 and 6 rectifier devices or units, 1 an impedance in the form of a choke coil, and 8 the illuminating tube or lamp.

As shown, the condenser 2 and series impedance 1 are connected in series circuit relation across the source I to provide a series-resonance circuit. The condensers 3 and 3 are each connected across the impedance 1 through the rectifier devices 5 and 6, respectively, and are gradually charged by the potential of the impedance 1.

The illuminating tube or glow-discharge lamp 8 is connected across the condensers 3 and 4 to be energized by the discharge therefrom, the condensers functioning as a storage reservoir for electrical energy.

With this arrangement, it will be apparent that as soon as the condensers 3 and 4 become charged to a potential at which the tube 8 breaks down, they will discharge through the tube until the extinction potential of the tube is reached, at which time the tube will cease to operate. Following this, the condensers will be recharged to the necessary potentialto ignite the tube. and again discharged through the tube. This cycle of operation is continued so long as energy is supplied to the system, thus producing a periodic flashing of the lamp or tube 8.

It will be apparent that the frequency at which the lamp or tube 8 is flashed is dependent upon the characteristics of the circuit and the lamp which may be varied to produce the desired frequency of flashing. For example, this may depend upon the tim required to charge the condenser or condensers to the potential necessary to discharge the lamp which, in turn, depends upon the amount of potential developed by the impedance 1. Likewise, if a lamp is selected which has a maximum difference between its discharge and extinction potentials, a longer light flash will result and vice versa.

It willbe apparent that the particular advantage in this arrangement over other well known forms of flasher systems is in the use of the series-resonance circuit comprising the condenser 2 and the choke coil 7, which functions to charge the condensers 3 and 4 to a much higher degree than would otherwise be possible by the use of the condenser 2 alone.

The tube or lamp 8 may be of any suitable type which functions to convert electrical energy into light and in which the ignition and extinction potentials are difierent. Accordingly, mercury vapor or sodium tubes may be used for the illuminating tube. It is preferable to use a tube having a maximum radiation power and also as great a difference as is possible to obtain between its ignition and extinction potential. However, if these features cannot be provided in the tube itself, the ignition potential of the tube may be determined by connecting a small disruptive path, such, for example, as a spark gap in an attenuated gas, in series circuit relation with the tube. When the spark gap is used, the discharge tube may be replaced by an ordinary lamp.

It will also be apparent that the source I may take the form of a separate source utilized primarily for operating the flasher system or it may be a high-voltage power transmission line to which the flasher system may-be directly connected through any suitable high impedance in a well known manner.

In view of the foregoing, it will be apparent that the invention provides a flasher control system comprised of a relatively simple arrangement of inexpensive elements and in which there are no moving parts or elements of such nature whereby said condensers are alternately charged by the potential of the choke coil and discharged in series through the glow-discharge lamp to effeet a periodic flashing of the lamp.

2. An electrical flasher system comprising, a source of alternating current power, a series-resonance circuit connected to be energized'from the power source, said circuit including an impedance as one of its elements, a pair of condensers, a pair of rectifier elements, circuit means connecting each of said condensers in parallel circuit relation with the impedance in the se- 1. An electrical flasher system comprising a source of alternating current power, a glow-discharge lamp, a pair of condensers connected in series circuit relation to the terminals .of said lamp, a series-resonance circuit comprising a condenser and a choke coil connected in series circuit relation across the source, and circuit means including rectifier means for connecting each of the condensers across the choke coil,

ries-resonance circuit in series circuit relation with one of the rectifier elements, and a discharge lamp having different ignition and extinction potentials connected in series circuit relation with the said condensers to be flashed periodically by the energy discharge from said condensers in series as they are alternately charged by the potential of the said impedance and discharged through the lamp. v

ERICH FRIEDLANDER. 

